Gubby Under Pressure

taught me more about the subjects than I could learn in 6 months. The roads were terrible and when you think that we covered 786 miles in exactly 20 hours, including stops, an average speed of over 40 m.p.h. you can guess whether it was comfortable or not. No more news but I won’t finish this off until I can find out when the air mail goes from Adelaide. Please send this on to Dad and Plum if you can as I am not going to have much time to write letters on this trip and would like him to hear the news. Adelaide Oct 28 Arrived down here by car about an hour ago. Have had 2 further disasters. Bob Wyatt has broken the ulna bone in his arm just above the wrist and I am told Copson has slightly strained his leg in exactly the same place as I used. Tell Plum to point out the importance of 17 men. Barnett’s inside is upset and if Wade had not been out we could not have selected 11 men for next match. Had terrible day at Clare, it was bitterly cold and rained on and off all day. Made speeches on Tuesday and 3 today. It is farcical but speaking no longer worries me. It must surely be a record. I made off to Port Augusta at 7.10 in the morning and was made to stop 5 times on the way to Clare by car and had an official reception in front of the Stand before the races started. S Australia Hotel here is magnificent now and I am living in great luxury. Am very happy though full of worries, but am loving it. Uncle Arthur writes to me continuously but I have told him he will never get an answer! No time. Very best love Obbie P.S. Found Dad’s letter dated Oct 9 at Adelaide. Letter Eight South Australia Hotel Adelaide Nov 3 1936 Darling Dad and Mum, I can’t remember to which of you I wrote last or when I did. We beat South Australia by lunchtime today but not without causing me a little anxiety. Our batting, except for Hammond and possibly Worthington, was deplorable and our bowling except for myself not very convincing. Sims bowls too quick and has no flight and Verity doesn’t look as if he will get a wicket on the whole tour unless the wicket is worn. Today, as is often the case in Adelaide early in the season, the ball will turn but even then I had to get the only wickets which mattered. I think the batting failures have been due to the difference in the pace of the many wickets on which we have played and poor nets for practice. We had a disastrous one day match up at Clare, Bob breaking the bone in his arm which will keep him out of cricket for at least 5 or 6 weeks and Copson straining his groin slightly. With Robbie and Bob injured it looks as though I shall have to captain, manage and ‘nurse’ the team for the next 6 weeks. Howard is charming and most efficient but he makes me make all the decisions, even as to how much to give in tips everywhere, with the result that after the hard and anxious month which I have just had, I am dead beat this evening. However, as I said before, he will be superb after we have been in each State once and I am sure Brown of Notts would not have been in the same class. I have been very hard worked since I set foot in South Australia. We disembarked at Port Augusta and I had to make a speech at 7 o’clock in the morning. I made 5 in small towns on the way to Clare and 3, admittedly two were very short, at the Clare races. I have so far made 24 since we landed at Fremantle and that was only 22 days ago. However, I am loving the trip and am so fond of all the side that I don’t mind how much I have to do for them. Wallie Hammond is a wonderful head professional as they all admire him so much and listen to everything he has to say. I have had to bustle up one or two of them but I haven’t heard an unkind word spoken yet. I have seen a lot of Jack Forbes, who is one of the twins who were in Wales House my last 2 years, as he is A.D.C. to the Governor here. He is extremely nice and just as unspoiled as he was in England. I have been supplied with a Hillman ‘Minx’ for town work and a Humber ‘Snipe’ for long trips in every State, which is going to make a terrific difference, as it will give me so much more freedom. This morning and Monday evening Howard and I The letters 76